Types Of Mortgage

Which Type Of Mortgage is Best For You?

The Different Types Of Mortgages Available

When it comes to choosing a mortgage, it can be difficult to know where to start. Rivington Mortgages offer a comprehensive guide that takes you through the various options.

Finding the right mortgage can be difficult. Why not make an appointment to see one of our advisors to discuss your needs? You can visit us here at our base in Horwich or we can visit you at your home or place of work.

Repayment methods

There are two ways to make monthly repayments.

Interest Only Mortgage

You pay only interest on the capital (the amount you borrowed). At the end of the term, you will need to have sufficient funds to repay the capital. Many people use the proceeds of an investment plan to do this. The benefit of this is the money that you pay into your investment vehicle should grow sufficiently to cover your debt to your lender and may provide an additional cash sum at the end of the mortgage term. The downside is your investment may not perform sufficiently well to allow you to repay your mortgage and you may have to find funds elsewhere to repay your loan.

Repayment Mortgage (also called Capital and Interest)

You start off paying the interest and a small amount of the capital each month, then gradually pay off larger chunks of the capital. Repayments are higher than an interest-only mortgage - but with the latter, bear in mind the extra cost of building capital. The benefit is this kind of mortgage often seems a safe option; at the end of the term you will definitely have paid back your loan, as long as you've kept up the repayments. The negative side of this mortgage is there's no potential investment windfall at the end of the term.

Interest rates

The lender can charge interest in various ways:

Fixed Rate Mortgage

The rate is fixed for a set period of time with the lowest rates usually being fixed over shorter periods. The advantage is you know exactly what you'll pay each month during the fixed period. An early repayment charge is usually payable if you repay the mortgage during any fixed rate period. You could lose out if the lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR) drops below the rate you're locked into. At the end of the fixed rate period the rate will usually revert to the SVR.

Capped Rate Mortgage

Your rate will go up and down in line with your lender's SVR, but it will never rise above the 'cap'. The advantage is you know the maximum amount you'll pay during the capped rate period, and if the lenders SVR falls below the capped rate, you'll pay the lower rate as long as this is the case. If the lenders SVR later rises above the cap, you'll go back paying the capped rate. A disadvantage is if the SVR drops beneath the cap, you may pay more than you would on a fixed rate. At the end of the capped rate period the rate will usually revert to the SVR. An early repayment charge is usually payable if you repay the mortgage during any capped rate.

Discount rate Mortgage

You'll receive a discount off the lender's SVR for a certain period of time. The advantage is lower repayments during the discount period. The downside is your repayments will still be variable, so you don't have the certainty of a fixed rate. Also, the repayments will switch to the lenders SVR when the discounted rate period ends, so you'll need to adjust your budget then. At the end of the discounted rate period the rate will usually revert to the SVR. An early repayment charge is usually payable if you repay the mortgage during any discounted rate period.

Standard Variable Rate Mortgage (SVR)

Moves up and down in line with the lenders variable rate. The advantage of this is you should benefit from any drop in interest. It may be a disadvantage that SVRs are usually higher than the cost of other products which may be more suitable for you.

Tracker Mortgage

These mortgages usually move in line with the Bank of England's base rate rather than the lender's SVR. The benefit of this is you will gain from general interest cuts irrespective of whether your lender decides to drop its mortgage rate in line with the base rate. Similarly, your rate will automatically rise if the base rate rises. An early repayment charge is usually payable if you repay the mortgage during any tracker rate period.

Offset Mortgage

This is a type of flexible mortgage. Your current account and/or savings account credit balances are linked to your mortgage and money in these accounts is offset against the mortgage, so you only pay interest on the amount of your mortgage minus the credit balances. The advantage of an offset mortgage is you could save money by paying off your mortgage more quickly provided your current account is in credit. The effective rate of return on credit balances in an offset arrangement may be higher than you can get otherwise. A disadvantage may be when you offset savings, you don't earn interest. Products with a lower interest rate may be more suitable.

Please give us a call for advice on any of the above mortgages. To find out more call us on 01204 699002

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. We normally charge a fee on completion of your mortgage, this varies dependant on your circumstances but a typical fee is £499.

Rivington Mortgages Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Rivington Mortgages Ltd undertakes credit broking and is not a lender.